Game trap



Mar. 13, 1923. 1,448,467

W. R. SMITH GAME TRAP Filed May 6, 1922 Z122 3 Patented Mar. i3, 1923.

ninV sa WALTER RICHARD SMITH, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISINA.

GAME TRAP.

Application filed May 6, 1922. Serial No. 559,001.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that l WALTER E. SMrrH, a citizen of the United tates, residing` at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Game Traps, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to a duplex or twoin-one gametrap.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction. of game traps and vto provide a simple, practical and efcient duplex game trap of strong and durable construction, equipped with two pairs of jaws of diiferent lengths, adapted to engage the dierent portions of a captured animal to prevent doubly the escape of trapped game, as the breaking off a foot in a single trap.

A further object of the invention is to provide a duplex or two-in-one game trap of this character, in which the spring's for actuating the two pairs of jaws will be nested one within the other and which may be compactly arranged for carrying or transporting it from one place to another.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter `fully described, illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construetion, within the scope of the claims, may be r resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, in which like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in the several. views Figure 1 is a plan view of a duplex game trap constructed inl accordance with this invention, and shown set.

Figure 2 is aside elevation of the saine, partly in section, the trap being sprung.

Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure iV is a detail perspective view of the base of the trap.

Referring to the drawing, in which is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention, the duplex trap comprises in itsv construction two sets of jaws, a set of inner or short jaws 1 and a set of outer or long jaws 2,A and the Said jaws are hinged or pivotally mounted upon a single piece base 3 constructed of sheet metal or other suitable material of approximately T-shaped form. The laterally extending arms of the T- shaped base are provided with inwardly and upwardly extending ears 5 and 6, the outer ears beingformed by bending the terminals of the laterally extending arms upwardly and the inner ears being formed by splitting the metal of the arms longitudinally and transversely and bending the partially severed portions upwardly in spaced relation and parallel with the terminal upwardly extending ears. The upwardly extending inner and outer ears are provided with bearingopenings 7 and 8 for the reception of the terminal pivot portions 9 and 10 of the inner and outer jaws 1 and 2. The inner and outer jaws are operated in spaced relation with each other and are adapted to engage the captured gaine at different parts of the same, so that it will be impossible for the captured animal to escape from the trap by mutilating itself, which is Aoften the case with a trap having a single set of jaws.

The jaws are actuated in their closing movement by inner and outer nested approximately` U-shaped springs 11 and 12 located at one end of the trap and provided at their terminal portions with eyes or openings 13 and 14. The eyes or openings 13 of the inner spring 11 are of greater size than the openings 14 of the outer spring and are adapted to receive and permit the terminal portions of the inner spring to extend around both sets of jaws and also both bearing ears at that end of the trap, as clearly illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings. The openings or eyes 14 of the outer spring 12 are arranged on the outer bearing ear and the outer jaws when the same are sprung. The tripping of the trap, after the latter has been set by the means hereinafter described, causes the springsto close the pivoted or hinged jaws 1 and 2 in the usual manner.

The trap is set by opening the jaws to the ostion illustrated in Figures 1 and 3 of the .rawing and one of the outer jaws 2 is engaged by an outer trigger or catch 15, while the innerv jaws are held open by engaging one of the same 'with an inner trigger or catch 16. The engaged inner jaw also engages the free end of the trigger or catch 15 and holds the latter in engagement with the confined outer jaw 2. The inner trigger or catch 16 is engaged by a settincr lever 17 vprovided with a bait pan or treadle member 'The said arm 19 is providedy at its intermediate portion adjacent the inner end of the said reduced yportion v2O with Aintermediate inner and `outer upwardly extending lears 22 and `23xon which are pivotally mounted the innerztrigger or catch 16 and the setting -1everf17. The .triggers or catches 15 and 16 'areeachpivoted or hingedat one end, preferably lby being provided with an eye linked into ,an eye or opening in the supporting Iears21 and 22 respectively. The trigger 15 is swung vover ythey adjacent outer jaw and the adjacent inner jaw is then arranged upon Ithe said trigger 15, while `the inner trigger or catch 16 is arranged over the said adjacent -inner jaw. The said lever 17 is vpiv'oted or hinged tothe inner intermediate ear '23 in the same manner as :the triggers yo'r catches are hinged or pivoted to their 'supporting earsand it is provided adjacent thehinge or pivot with a shoulder 24 which yengages and holds ,the free end of the tri gger or'catch 16 untilgthe Vbait pan or portion 18 is idepressed'by the weight of the game attempting to Lobtain the bait. The bait pan 'or 4treadle may be provided with any suitable means for the convenient attachment Aof a bait;y The lopenings -or eyes of the ysprings lwill permit thesame ytobe swung around to one side of the laterally eXtend- 'fing arms ofv the base for folding the trap if desired.

What is claimed is: v

1i. A trap of theclass described, including l'a base, inner and outer pairs of aws hinged to thebase, springs-for actuating the jaws to'clo'se the same, an outer trigger 'or catch arranged'to engage one of the outer jaws Iand to extend beneath one ofthe inner jaws l:insettingfthe trap, a second trigger arranged to extend over the said inner .jaw frhol-ding lthe same, and a setting :lever provided with means .for engaging andholding @the latter trigger and having bait hold- ,A :2. kA tra-p of the class described, includ- ,ing-a base of approximately T-shape,y having its laterally extending arms provided yattheiry terminals with inner outer upwardlyextending ears, the inner ears being formed by partially severing the material of Ithe base, said base having its other arm reduced at the outer' portion and provided with an upwardly extending terminal ear and having intermediate inner and outer ears at lthe inner'end of the said reduced portion, inner and outer jaws arranged in pairs and hinged to the inner and outer ears 'of the laterally extending karms of the trigger pivotally mounted on the terminal ear of the reduced portion of the baseand arranged to engage one of the outer jaws, an inner trigger mounted on the outer intermediate ear and arranged to `engage yone of the inner jaws, and a setting lever pivotally base, springs for closing the jaws, an outer mountedon the inner intermediate ear andl provided with means for engaging and holdingthe inner trigger. l

3. A trap of the class describechincluding a base, inner and. outer pairs ofjaws hinged to the basepnieans'for setting the jaws, and

a pair of approximately U-shaped nested springs arranged at one end of the `said jaws and provided with means for engaging and closing'th'e same. l v

1. A'trap of the class described, including a base, innerand outer pair's'rof jaws hinged tothebase, means for setting thejaws, and a pair of approximatelyU-shaped nested springs having terminal eyes or openings to receive the jaws, and the supporting means for'the same at onev endof the said jaws. v y i '5; A trap ofthe class described, include ing `a base,'inn'er and outer pairs -of jaws hinged to the base, `an approximately` Ushaped spring engaging one end of the outer pair 'of aws and the supporttherefor, a second 1 approximately U-sli'aped spring nested within the first mentioned 'springend f engaging one end of bot-h pairs ofjaws and '4 the supports therefor, an outer trigger or catch arranged to extend over one of the outer jaws and beneath one 4of .the inner jaws in setting the trap, a second trigger arranged to extend over-said vinner yjaw for 1 holding the same, and asetting lever provided with means for engagingand holding said second trigger, the arrangement being suchy that the force of hot-h springs is upon the inner pair of jaws during the initial closing movement thereof yand upon the outer pair of jaws after the aws have been closed. i j A In testimony whereof Il have hereunto set myhaiidf 7 WALTER RICHARD SM1TH-- 

